Sagrada Familia, Barcelona

O.M.G!!!!!
We were here!!! finally!!!!
I've been wanting to visit Europe's most unconventional church all my life
she's the reason I chartered my way to Barcelona

Please pardon all the cranes up there
no one can ever get a clear picture without the cranes unless digitally removing them
this church has been under construction since......errrr.......1882 and will be STILL be under construction until 2026 or 2028 *estimated year*

I guess by the time they are done on the other side, it's time to repair this side
kekekekekekkekekeke
and in 2010 November the Pope consecrated it so now it is a BASILICA!!!

after our morning coffee and churros we tottered our way here
*awwwww Spain has got the BEST CHURROS in the world*

We were so ecstatic to be here
well sorry the picture didn't seem that way coz I was still a sleepy head then

the other sleepy head
kekekekekekeke

Sagrada Familia is the most visited monument in Barcelona
designed and built by non other than Antoni Gaudi!!!!

it was his greatest work ever, combining Gothic and Art Nouveau all together
he worked on the site for 14 years until his death 1926

so now the government is aiming the completion target of 2026 - the centennial of Gaudi's death

we stood so long tilting and killing our necks *including Berr's*
admiring this Nativity Facade

there are 3 facades to this church
Nativity = East
Passion = West
Glory = South *yet to be built........-_-......*

on this facade, lots of sculptures with details
a total visual accounts of the bible passages

just right above the entrance of Nativity facade is Joseph and the child Jesus
watching over by Mary's parents, St, Ann and St. Joachim.
the arch and spire is an allusion to the holy mountain of Montserrat
*the one that Monkey & JS climbed and hiked*

somewhere in between those sculptures, one resembled Antoni Gaudi
it's a posthumous homage by the sculpture, done after the master's death

I couldn't find it!!!
there's like a gazillion of detailing there and I was trying hard to identify and relate them to the bible
and I don't even read the bible...so it's like doin a PHD standing there with my book

and now to the Passion facade which is now the main entrance to the church
the facade here is so different from the Gothic Nativity Facade
what a total change!!!!
*please scroll up again and check out the Gothic Nativity facade, we are still at the same church*
this Antoni Gaudi is really a mad artist!!!!
no one would built a church thus way!!!!

so the Passion facade depicts Christ's passion, sufferings and execution
the sculptures here are more angular, chunky...very expressionist
gawd!!!!! I mind was so jumbled at this juncture

can u see Jesus Christ there?
there were groups of sculptures here playing the scenes from the Last Supper to the Garden of Gethsemane....then moving to the betrayal of Judas and so on....

there were also numbers of cryptogram...
all add up to 33 in every direction
*Jesus Christ died at the age of 33*

well who needs a bible now??
it's all on the facade!!!!

the heavy BRASS door

it's not just a door....it's more than that
so who feels like Robert Langdon in Da Vinci's Code now?
I did!!!! :P
and we haven't even seen the INTERIOR of the church yet..
trust me....it will blow ur mind~~~~~~

WOOOOOOOOOOO is this a church?
the first sight of it was like a punch on my stomach
not a painful one but the one where u held ur breath for too long????

look at all the art nouveau pillars!!!!!
it's like CORALS
we felt like we were under the sea :))))))))

the spiral stair-well with balconies
woooooooowww.....I dunno how to describe this~~~~

despite thousands of visitors at that time....
u can feel moments of silence
not just bcoz we had to keep quite in a church
but bcoz every visitors were so mesmerised by it
not even a baby cried!!!

we were pointing our ways trying to identify wat it resembles
like corals...like trees....like shells..
such geometric designs....so beautiful

*pic stolen from the Web*

the entire ceiling of the church
it's CRAZY!!!!!

who needs lights here when u have such beautiful natural lights!!!!!
all thanks to the beautiful rose windows
they really looked like corals :))))

one of the transept inside with colored windows

Jesus Christ hung at the altar
it's really different coz usually u'll find him with a solid back
but now it's really "hung" in mid air
on the background u can see the organ with 1,492 pipes

such a beautiful church.....
must snap pic with us innit!!!!
kekekekekekkekekekekeke

Later I found a quiet corner to do more readings on its architecture, designs and history
think we spent 3 hours in this church
:P

while JS walked around BZ snapping away happily
well in Malaysia you don't get such subject to work on in photography
good lights, curves, interesting perspective etc

nope we were not done yet....there's still the ROOF and SPIRES to visit!!!

when u purchase the ticket, please state u wanna visit its spires too
there's a time indicated on this ticket, so u can go and take a lift up when ur allocated time arrives

yes those spires at the top....we are goin there...
based on Gaudi's master plan there will be 18 spires when it's complete

One for each of Jesus's 12 apostles

wow u can see the whole of Barcelona fr here
coz there's not many high rises here

the building that looked like a bullet is Torre Agbar

designed by French architect Jean Nouvel it was inspired by Montserrat
hmmm so Montserrat is a very important symbol in Spain.
*if u missed reading my posting of Montserrat, click here to read*

*and another posting here*

me and Torre Agbar....that was the closest hahahahahahah

Barcelona is very much built on grid system

Monkey: "oh look JS!!! there's a strawberry toppings and orange lime......and over there we have another type of sorbet!!! I think Gaudi was thinking about them while designing it :))"

JS -_- : "those are grapes my dear.....representing Eucharist the Holy Communion"

Monkey >.< oh...ya kar? :P

when this church is completed....
there will be 12 spires for 12 apostles
4 for the evangelists
1 for Mary

while the tallest spire meant for Jesus Christ
then it will the the TALLEST CHURCH IN THE WORLD!!!
a total of 18 spires~~~~C

Thank you for continuously educating this silly Monkey
and of coz for roaming the Earth with me :)))))))

woohooo next destination Vienna and Budapest!!!
next month :)))))))))))))

so eppy at the Top huh????
nwo time to descend the 370 stone steps of stairways
looked like snails....hahahahaha

I dun like to look down so I looked up~~~
wow we were actually so near to the spires

the stairways was pretty ok coz it was bright with daylight
it was airy too!!!
I hate those which is dark, dim and haunted

only problem is I can look down
GAH!!!! so high!!!!!!

warning: Fatso need not come....coz u'll have problem goin down
turning ur body....even I have problem
I'm not belittling u but seriously...this is not for ppl who have heart problem, vertigo etc

see wat I mean???
it's so narrow!!!!
u'll have problem, esp if ur haversack/bags/ass is large

one memorabilia for Berr!!!!
:)))))))))))
any visit to Barcelona is not complete without coming here

Finally I've visited Sagrada Familia
one item off the checklist!!!
:)))))))))

Sagrada Familia
C/ Mallorca 401,
08013 Barcelona,
Spain.
www.sagradafamilia.cat